07-05-2025
Bulldozer action at Taimoor Nagar: What's the story behind this Delhi locality by the Yamuna?
No one knows who Taimoor Nagar in Delhi is named after.
One could surmise it was a derivation of Turkish-Mongol conqueror Timur or Tamerlane, founder of the Timurid Empire, who invaded India in the 14th Century.
But history records do not confirm this.
Today, Taimoor Nagar is better known as a densely populated locality in Southeast Delhi, near the upscale neighbourhoods of New Friends Colony and Maharani Bagh.
And it found itself in the spotlight this week for all the wrong reasons.
On Monday, illegal structures near the Taimoor Nagar drain — which feeds into the Yamuna and is choked with garbage — were razed. The action was carried out by the Delhi Development Authority on the orders of the Delhi High Court.
The HC Saturday refused to stay the demolition of encroachments around the drain and attributed the flooding in various parts of the Capital — including in South Delhi — last Friday following showers and thunderstorms to the inability of the drain to discharge rainwater downstream due to the encroachments.
The neighbourhood's proximity to the Yamuna has meant the area has often been in the news for encroachments on floodplain land and poor drainage infrastructure.
It has also faced several eviction and demolition drives over the years, particularly those linked to environmental concerns or court orders regarding illegal construction.
The settlement in Taimoor Nagar came up when people were displaced from Rajghat in 1986, said Biswajit Mohanty, Professor of Political Science at Deshbandhu College, Delhi University.
'The people were mostly from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh — three-fourth of the population is Muslim, while the rest are Hindus.'
According to Mohammad Tazeem, who teaches history at the Senior Secondary School in Jamia Millia Islamia, Taimoor Nagar is constructed on the lands of two villages, Kilokari and Khizarabad.
'Kilokari and Khizarabad were established during the Sultanate period, he said. 'Before that, these were small settlements of Gujjars and Ahirs.'
He added, 'Khizarabad is named after the son of Alauddin Khilji — Khizr Khan. As for Kilokari, it is named after Kaikubad, the grandson of Sultan Balban. These villages became populated in the 13th and 14th century.'
Kilokari also has a Sufi connection.
It is also believed that the earliest documented Sufi presence in Delhi can be traced to Khwaja Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, the successor of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti of Ajmer, who is believed to have first settled in Kilokari — then a quiet riverside hamlet near the present-day Ashram area.
With the Yamuna flowing beside it, Kilokari offered the solitude and natural setting ideal for a Sufi mystic's meditation and spiritual practice.
British civil servant and historian H C Fanshawe, in his 1902 book, Delhi: Past and Present, described Kilokari as a scenic riverside village that once served as a royal retreat. He noted that it was frequented by Mughal prince Humayun and known for its gardens and proximity to the Yamuna.
Currently, Taimoor Nagar falls under the Okhla Assembly constituency.
